Article: Wrapping Up the Year | Anson Alummoottil Titus
The Pastor ushered in 2023 with a powerful sermon, entitled “Awake and Arise” (Acts 60:1), setting the tone for the year ahead. This transformative message resonated with the congregation for 12 weeks, leading them on a journey of self-reflection and growth. As the year progressed, the call to awake and arise remained at the forefront, guiding their steps towards a brighter future. And as we enter 2024, this cycle continues worldwide – a constant reminder to never lose sight of our purpose and to always strive towards progress. With every New Year comes the opportunity to awaken our souls and rise to greater heights. Let us embrace this beautiful cycle with renewed determination and optimism.
As I approach the border between this year and the next, I only hope to reach the finish line and collapse. However, as I contemplate this achievement, I can’t ignore the fact that if God permits me to reach it, I must also prepare for the next leg of the race. It’s a daunting thought – how am I supposed to keep going when I feel completely drained?
Alone and fatigued under the glaring Christmas lights, my mind became consumed with a multitude of questions. In that moment, T.S. Eliot’s words came to me: “What we call beginnings are often ends.” As I reflected on the concept of beginnings and endings, I found solace in realizing that time is not a result of sin, but a deliberate design by God.
The Bible confirms this idea of a cyclical pattern in our nature and in His plans for redemption – there are always beginnings and endings. The very first words of Genesis declare “in the beginning,” while Revelation ends with a promise of Jesus’ ultimate return (Genesis 1:1, Revelation 22:20). This is the same Jesus who is described in Revelation 22:13 as “the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Throughout every page of Scripture, we see evidence of how God uses time to sanctify his people.
In Genesis, we witness God’s intention to create days. The Psalms remind us of his mercy as each day dawns, while Ecclesiastes speaks to the brokenness that comes with each passing moment. Even in this brokenness, God reminds us he has made everything beautiful in its own time. And yet, there is a mystery to time that we cannot fully comprehend. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, God has placed eternity in our hearts, but we will never fully understand all that he has done from beginning to end.
There is something sacred about beginnings and endings – something that we often feel deeply. In hospital rooms and funeral parlours, in the shared emotions of singing “Auld Lang Syne” on New Year’s Eve, or simply watching a sunset or sunrise – we sense this significance of time. It is both powerful and fragile; bringing both melancholy and hope. This is the same Jesus who is described in Revelation 22:13 as “the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Throughout every page of Scripture, we see evidence of how God uses time to sanctify his people.
In Genesis, we witness God’s intention to create days. The Psalms remind us of his mercy as each day dawns, while Ecclesiastes speaks to the brokenness that comes with each passing moment. Even in this brokenness, God reminds us he has made everything beautiful in its own time. And yet, there is a mystery to time that we cannot fully comprehend. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, God has placed eternity in our hearts, but we will never fully understand all that he has done from beginning to end.
– Anson Alummoottil Titus
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